Commencement of Space Flights
Will Whitehorn, until recently president of Virgin Galactic, stated that the company would "not put a definite timeline on when the commercial flights would begin" but that "all was on track with its development plans" and that "If all goes to plan", the inaugural sub-orbital flight should happen "within two years ".
Refining the projected schedule in October 2009, Virgin Galactic has continued to decline to announce a firm schedule for commercial flights, but did reiterate that initial flights would take place from Spaceport America. Commercial availability will be based on a "safety-driven schedule," which they hope to achieve "within two years."
In 2009, Scaled Composite's president Doug Shane said that WhiteKnight Two's first SpaceShipTwo captive flights would be in early 2010. Both aircraft flew together in March 2010. On December 7, 2009, SpaceShipTwo was unveiled at the Mojave Spaceport.
By February 2012, SpaceShipTwo had completed 15 test flights while attached to WhiteKnightTwo, and an additional 16 glide tests, the last of which took place in September 2011.
Read more about this topic: Virgin Galactic
Famous quotes containing the words commencement, space and/or flights:
“After that came commencement day—that great day for which all other days were made. And it went. And that night I felt of myself all over, and to my astonishment, I found ‘twas the same old Rud. Not a single cubit added to my stature; not a hair’s breadth to my girth. If anything, on the contrary, I felt more lank and gaunt than common, much as if a load were off my stomach.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“It is not through space that I must seek my dignity, but through the management of my thought. I shall have no more if I possess worlds.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
“Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)